Colloidal and homogenizing mill with toothed stator and rotor



' Nov. 11, 1947. R. c. HOPKINS ,7

COLLOIDAL AND HOMOGENIZING MIL S I Filed 001:. 7, 1944 Nov. 11,1947. QH P WS 2,430,768

COLLOIDAL AND I IOMOGENIZING MILLS WITH TOOTHED STATOR AND ROTOR Filed Oct. 7, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 11, 1947 COLLOIDAL AND HOMOGENIZING MILL WITH TOOTHED STAIORAND ROTOR Robert 0. Hopkins, Alliance, Ohio Application October 7, 1944, Serial No. 557,665

9 Claims.

The invention relates to rotary fills for pulverizing, breakin up, mixing, screening, emulsifying and homogenizing the heavy particles of oil or other material, vegetable or animal matter in fluid or semi-fluid state.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a colloidal and homogenizing mill which is constructed and operated on an entirely new principle which is radically different from the construction and operation of mills for this purpose now in use.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mill in which the cutting or milling teeth are stationary and a plurality of rotating mixing and milling chambers are provided, through whichthe oil or other material sively passed.

A still further object is the provision of a mill of the character referred to in'which a plurality of stationary saw teeth are mounted around the interior of the mill housing and a plurality of rotating mixing and milling chambers are rotatably mounted within the housing, the material to be milled being passed through said rotating chambers and continuously thrown by centrifugal force against said stationary teeth.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mill comprising a housing having a gang of stationary saw teeth around its interior and a plurality of rotating star wheels of substantial thickness, separated by thin discs of a diameter equal to the overall diameter of the star wheels, thus forming a plurality of rotating mixing and milling chambers around the star wheels and between the separating disc's.

.Still another object is to provide a mill of this character in which the teeth upon the first star wheel, at the inlet end of the mill, are angularly or spirally arranged so as to set upan eilect like a screw propeller, producing a pumping action and overcoming any obstruction to the now of material pumped through the mill.

A further object is to provide a mill of the character referred to in which the fluid or semifluid material is admitted at one end of the rotor, passes successively over the separating discs and through the rotating mixing and milling chamber and is finally discharged at the opposite end of the rotor.

A still further object of the invention is to provide such a mill in which the star wheels and separating discs are assembled upon a mandrel in any combination of two or more star wheels to produce more or less intensive milling and greatto be milled is succeser or less volume capacity as conditions may require.

Another object is the provision of a mill of this character in which the particular shape of the rotary mixing and milling chambers sets up a rolling or spinning motion of the material around the inside of the stationary teeth. Still another object is to provide a mill in which the stationary toothed members are spaced apart a distance approximately equal to the thickness of the toothed members.

It is another object of the invention to produce a mill of this type in which there is a certain pressure effect against the stationary teeth due to the angular shape of the chambers in the rotor and the path of rotation.

.Still another object is to provide a construction of mill in which any tendency to clog the rotating chambers is overcome by the flow from one chamber to another over the separating discs, and also by the turbulence set up in each chamber and more particularly due to the washing'eiiect as the material flows over the separating disc into the next chamber.

A further object is the provision of such a mill which may be operated as efliciently in either direction without any change in the inlet or outlet.

A still further object is the provision of a rotary mill in which the inflow of material at the inlet end of the mill has a certain thrust efl'ect which tend to lighten the load on the end thrust bearing.

Another object is to provide a mill in which all of the energy is used up in the milling operation, the transformation of power into heat being an advantage in the case of oil or sludge reduction, the only heat'loss bein by radiation from the mill housing and accessory parts.

The above objects, together with others which will be apparent from the drawings and following description, or which may be later referred to, may be attained by constructing the improved colloidal and homogenizing mill in the manner illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 i a side elevation of the improved mill,

Fig. 2 a longitudinal sectional view through the mill on a slightly larger scale,

Fig.3 a longitudinal sectional view through the rotor, and,

Fig. 4 a transverse sectional -view through the mill, taken as on the line 4-4, Fig. 2.

The mill includes a housing Ill, preferably of cylindric formiand located in horizontal position,

3 flanges- H being formed at opposite ends of the housing for connection of the heads 12 and I3 at the inlet and discharge ends respectively of the mill.

An inlet pipe [4, leading from a pump or other source of fluid or semi-fluid under pressure, communicates with the interior of the housing through the inlet passage [5, in the head l2, and a discharge or outlet pipe lfi'communicates with the other end ofthe housing through the outlet passage I! in the head 13.

The head l3 has a bearing housing l8 formed thereon and provided with -a closed end; any usual and Well known form of bearing, as -indi--- cated at H), being located within said bearing housing to receive the journal end 20 of the rotor shaft 2| which is longitudinally,axially disposed through the mill.

A bearing housing 22 is formed upon the-head l2 and houses a bearing 23 through which the journal portion of the rotor shaft is located. An extension 25 may be formed beyond the bearing 23 to house astufling box or the like,"and'the journal portion 24 of the-shaft is'extendedtherethrough asat 26 and may be operatively'connected to a motor or other drivingmeans.

The shaft 2! isprovided with sc'rew threaded portions 2'! adjacent to each journal end thereof, to receive nuts '28 for mounting the tubular mandrel 29 upon the shaft. The mandrel may be held against rotation relative to the shaft by any suitable means, such as the-key 3'0.

An-annular flange '3! is formed upon one-end of the mandrel, and a plurality of star wheels 32 is mounted upon the mandreL'butting against said flange at one endr and clamped tightly'between the flange and the mandrel :plate or ring 33" by means of the mandrel nuts34 mounted upon the screw threaded portion 35'at the opposite end of the mandrel.

These star wheelsare of substantial'thickness as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and are provided around their peripheries withlthe substantially V-shape notches 36, eachnotch being preferably rounded at its apex, as indicatedat '31, in order to increase the tendency to produce a rolling or spinning motion of the materialas willbe later pointed out. 'The notches-36 may be so spaced as to form narrow, flat surfaces 38 therebetween around theperiphery of the star wheel.

Relatively thin .separating'discs orplates 39 are located upon the mandrel between the'istar Wheels 32, slightly separating the star wheels from each other and forming bafiles therebetween, as the separating discs are 'of a diameter 1 equal to the overall diameter of the star-wheels, thus producing a plurality of mixing and milling chambers 40 around the periphery 'of'each star wheel.

In order to regulate the intensityof: milling the number of star wheels assembled upon" the mandrel may be increased 'or decreased to suit' conditions and requirements. For thispurpose the width of the-mandrel plate orring 33 maybe varied depending upon the number ofrstar'wheels assembled upon the mandrel.

A look plate or ring 4| may be interposedbetween one end of the mandrel and the adjacent nut 28, and may bepas showman-"Figs; 2 and 3,

located between themandrel-nut :34 and the '70 adjacent shaft nut 28, the lock plateorring being providedwith the annular 1113742 contacting the mandrel nut.

' With this construction, when the star wheels mandrel in the manner above described and the mandrel nut is tightened against the mandrel plate or ring and the shaft nuts 28 are tightened against the mandrel and lock plate, the entire rotor assembly is rigidly mounted as a unit upon the shaft 2 l As shown in Fig. 2, the notches in the first star wheel may be angularly or spirally located as indicated at 36a, so as to set up an efiect like a screw propeller and'produce a pumping action which will at least overcome any obstruction on resistance to flow of material pumped through the-mill. 7

Where this angular or spiral star Wheel is used the rotor must be rotated in the direction of -'the arrow shown in Fig. 2. Otherwise the rotormay be rotated in either direction and will operate as efficiently and successfully if rotated in one direction as in the other, and without any change of the inlet or outlet.

-A-gang-of internally'toothed, saw rings 43 is vfixed uponthe-interior of the housing and: spaced :by thin annularrseparator plates 44, the saws and separator plates being of substantially equal thickness and of approximately the same thicknessas the separator discsr39 which separate the relatively thickst-ar Wheels.

These stationary, internal saws "extend the peripheries of the star Wheels, sothatthe material-passing .through the chambers 'of the star wheels will-:be repeatedlybrought into contact with the saw teeth by centrifugal-action and thoroughly milledwand mixed thereby.

'In' the'operat-ion-iofthe' mill, oil or other liquid or semi-liquid material, under pressure, is admitted to. the; interior :of the. housing through the inlet passage [5,: andpassessuccessively through .the=-V-shape chambers-of the starwheels and over the separator discs: fromthe inlet end toward .the outlet end-.of the mill.

The :rotating star wheels cause a spinning motion. of the material within-each of the cham- .bers 40. and the heavieraparticlesof the material are forced against the estationary saw teeth in the housing bycentrifugal force, and as this action is-repeated as the -material successively passes through the chambers of a each star wheel a' thorough: milling. emulsifying and homogenizingof the material is-produced.

As the material passes out of the-mixing cham- .bers of -each-star wheel itv must-pass over the separator discsvwith-enough velocity to Wash any material out of the stationarysaws thuspreventing 'anyclogging thereof. .-Furthermore I the turbulence. set up ln eachof utheymixingz chambers will'reduoe 'anytendency toward clogging. of the saw teeth.

-It-will be obvious thatthere will baa-dissolving action-ofthe heavy particles ofoil or other material due to thergenerationof heat resulting from the milling andcuttingup of v heavier particles in themater-ial, thus .the transformation .of power into heat is a distinct. advantage inthe case .of oiland sludge reduction, andsubstantially all ,of the energy is used up in'lthe milling operation.

"I claim: v

l. A rotar'y'colloidaland homogenizing mill including a housing, a plurality of stationary saws fixed within the "interior of the-housing and having relatively small -sawteeth thereon, -a--rotor within" the housing, -a plurality *of {star wheels upon the rotor having relatively large notches in a *s p rat ne 'd s s a ass m l d up' n th their peripheries in 'close" roximity to the-teeth of the stationary saws, separator discs between 'thestar wheels extending to the peripheries thereof .and forming with said notches a plurality of mixing and milling chambers around the periphery of each star wheel, and means for passing liquid or semiliquid material through the housing and successively through said chambers.

2. A rotary colloidal and homogenizing mill including. a housing and having relatively small saw teeth thereon, a plurality of stationary saws fixed within the interior of the housing, a rotor within the housing, a plurality of star wheels upon the rotor having their peripheries in close proximity to the teeth of the stationary saws, each star wheel having a plurality of relatively large substantially V-shape notches around its periphery, separator discs between the star wheels extending to the'peripheries thereof and forming with said notches a plurality of V-shaped mixing and milling chambers around the periphery of each star wheel, and means for passing liquid or semi-liquid material through the housing and successively through said chambers.

3. A rotary colloidal and homogenizing mill including a housing, a plurality of stationary saws fixed within the interior of the housing and having relatively small saw teeth thereon, a rotor within the housing, a plurality of star wheels upon the rotor having their peripheries in close proximity to the teeth of the stationary saws, each star wheel having a plurality of relatively large substantially V-shape notches around its periphery, separator discs between the star wheels extending to the peripheries thereof and forming with said notches a plurality oi'V-shaped mixing and milling chambers around the periphery of each star wheel, and means for passing liquid or semi-liquid material through the housing and successively through said chambers, the notches in the star wheel at the inlet end of the mill being spirally disposed.

4. A rotary colloidal and homogenizing mill including a housing, a plurality of stationary saws fixed within the interior of the housing and having relatively small saw teeth thereon, a rotor within the housing, a plurality of star wheels upon the rotor having relatively large notches in their peripheries in close proximity to the teeth of the stationary saws, separator discs between the star wheels extending to the peripheries thereof and forming with said notches a plurality of mixing and milling chambers around the periphery of each star wheel, and means for passing liquid or semi-liquid material through the housing and successively through said chambers, the star wheels being relatively thick and the separator discs being relatively thin, whereby said mixing and milling chambers cover substantially the entire peripheral area of the rotor.

5. A rotary colloidal and homogenizing mill including a housing, a plurality of stationary saws fixed within the interior of the housing and having relatively small saw teeth thereon, separators between said saws of substantially the same thickness as the saws, a rotor within the housing, a plurality of star wheels upon the rotor having relatively large notches in their peripheries in close proximity to the teeth of the stationary saws, separator discs between the star wheels extending to the peripheries thereof and forming with said notches a plurality of mixing and milling cha1nbers around the periphery of each star wheel, and means for passing liquid or semi-liquid material through the housing and successively through said chambers.

6. A rotary colloidal and homogenizing mill including a housing, a plurality of stationary saws fixed Within the interior of the housing and having relatively small saw teeth thereon, separators between said saws of substantially the same thickness as the saws, a rotor within the housing, a plurality of star wheels upon the rotor having relatively large notches in their periphries in close proximity to the teeth of the stationary saws, separator discs between the star wheels extending to the peripheries thereof and forming with said notche a, plurality of mixing and milling chambers around the periphery of each star wheel, and means for passing liquid or semiliquid material through the housing and succes- ;sively through said chambers, the star wheels being relatively thick and the separator discs being relatively thin, whereby said mixing and milling chambers cover substantially the entire a peripheral area of the rotor.

'7. A rotary colloidal and homogenizing mill including a housing, a plurality of stationary saws fixed within the interior of the housing and having relatively small saw teeth thereon, a rotor within the housing, a plurality of star wheels upon the rotor having relatively large notches in their peripheries in close proximity to the teeth of the stationary saws, each star wheel having a plurality of relatively large substan tially V-shape notches around its periphery, sep arator discs between the star wheels of a diameter equal to the overall diameter of the star wheels and forming with said notches a plurality of V-shape mixing and milling chambers around the periphery of each star wheel, and means for passing liquid or semi-liquid material through the housing and successively through said chambers.

8. A rotary colloidal and homogenizing mill including a housing, a plurality of stationary saws fixed within the interior of the housing and having relatively small saw teeth thereon, a rotor within the housing, a plurality of star wheels upon the rotor having their peripheries in close proximity to the stationary saws, each star Wheel having a plurality of relatively large substantially V-shape notches around its periphery, separator discs between the star wheels extending to the peripheries thereof and forming with said notches a plurality of V-shape mixing and milling chambers around the periphery of each star wheel, and means for passing liquid or semiliquid material through the housing and successively through said chambers, said notches being so shaped as to produce a spinning motion of the material within said chambers.

9. A rotary colloidal and homogenizing mill including a housing, a plurality of stationary saws fixed within the interior of the housing and having relatively small saw teeth thereon, a rotating shaft within the housing, a mandrel fixed upon the shaft, a plurality of relatively thick star wheels detachably mounted upon the mandrel and having relatively V-shape notches in their peripheries in close proximity to the stationary saws, relatively thin separator discs of a diameter equal to the overall diameter of the star wheels located on the mandrel between the star wheels and forming with said V-shape notches a plurality of substantially V-shape mixing and'milling chambers around the peripheries of the star wheels, a flange upon one end of the mandrel contacting one endmost star wheel, a mandrel plate detachably mounted upon the mandrel and contacting the other endmost 7 star wheel, a, nut upon the. mandrel contacting the mandrel gilate for clamping the star. wheels and separator disesbetween theflange-and mandrel plate, and means for passing liquid or semiliquid. material through the housing and sue- Name Date Ossing Dec. 2'7, 1938 Hopkins Mar. 15, 1938 Fassett Feb. 6, 1906 Number Number Number Name. Date Hopkins. Aug. 23, 1932 Williams. Aug. 1, 1922 Levin --...r Jan; 6, I931 Heath Apr. 11, 1939 Belt et; a1.. Dec. 11, 1906 Fee Aug. 11, 1857 Herche Oct. 5, 1920 Wyss June 28,1910 Summerton Oct. 30', 1917 Beall Feb. 19, 1901 Allen Dec; 12,1916 Marshall Sept. 27, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Italy May 20, 1939 Certificate of Correction Patent No. 2,430,768. November 11, 1947.

ROBERT C. HOPKINS It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Column 5, lines 10 and 11, claim 2,

strike out the comma and Words a plurality of stationary saws fixed Within the interior of the housing and insert the same in line 9, same claim, after housing;

and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Ofiice.

Signed and sealed this 24th day of August, A. D. 1948.

THOMAS F. MURPHY,

Assistant Gommissioner of Patents. 

